This wouldn't shock me, he's struggled there and he seems the type to bolt when things aren't perfect...

Quote:

In the summer of 2012 when the Nets re-signed Deron Williams, hope sprung eternal for the Nets building a title contender around him. To say that Williams’ tenure has been disappointing is a gross understatement. There has been a lot of money spent to put an accomplished group around Williams and his failings as a centerpiece are playing an enormous role in what appears to be a major falling out between Deron and Nets management.

Sources have told Hoopscritic.com that this falling out between Williams and Nets management, specifically Nets GM Billy King, has resulted in a mutual decision between the two parties to split. Williams, and his wife, essentially want out of Brooklyn and King is more than happy to accommodate them.

This will be easier said than done for King. Williams is owed $62 million over the next 3 years under the very likely scenario that he chooses not to exercise his early termination option in 2016-2017. He has what appears to be chronic ankle issues and has grossly underperformed his contract. Getting any kind of value for Williams will be a slick trick for King. Although Williams is still well regarded around the league, the length and size of his contract in this aggressive luxury tax era will give many teams pause.

There’s no guarantee that Williams gets dealt. Both sides completely understand that the Nets may not be able to get rid of his contract in a way that works for the organization. That is the main reason that you’ve heard Williams talk about his future with Brooklyn in his post playoffs comments. Although there are some bridges that are burnt, Deron is smart enough to not scorch the Earth so that some of those bridges can be rebuilt if he’s forced to return next year. There is widespread frustration in the organization with Deron’s lack of confidence and lack of competitive fire. Management and the coaching staff have tired of Deron and he’s tired of being their object of disappointment.

Ultimately, King’s chief goal in a Williams trade will be more about losing the contract and less about getting value. Value for Williams is going to be a very difficult proposition. However, he should be able to lose the contract as long as he’s flexible on what he takes back and that’s where the gymnastics will begin. The Nets do not have a 1st round draft pick in the 2014, 2016, and 2018 drafts due to the trade with Boston for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Their ability to restock this team with talent is going to be primarily dependent on what they’re able to accomplish in free agency.

That’s where the difficulty comes in. King is completely resistant to taking on any long term money. Whatever he gets back in a Williams trade, it’s going to have to be for contracts that expire before Deron’s does. That, and the other factors I listed above, will certainly narrow King’s market for Williams, which is why even though both sides have agreed that a trade is in everyone’s best interest, it’s far from a sure thing that a Williams deal gets done.

One interesting spot to keep an eye on as a possible destination for Williams is the Houston Rockets. There were some unconfirmed reports that Rocket GM Daryl Morey had approached King at last year’s trade deadline about a deal for Williams offering Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik. King reportedly turned him down flat. Morey was quoted as saying after the Rockets 1st round loss to Portland that he would certainly pursue an All Star to join Dwight Howard and James Harden. Williams isn’t necessarily an All Star anymore, but he’s not necessarily a hopeless case either. If Morey offers him the same package in the forthcoming offseason, I don’t think King will say no. Lin ad Asik are both difficult players to deal because even though they each count against the salary cap at a reasonable $8 million per year figure, they’re each actually pocketing approximately $15 million in balloon payments as a result if the poison pill contracts Morey signed them both to. The acquiring team would be obligated to pay the balloon payment. Most teams would find one of those payments objectionable let alone two. The Nets aren’t most teams.

The Nets paid a record amount of luxury tax this season and there are no indications that their billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov has any interest in spending less. As long as Prokhorov doesn’t mind paying the balloon payments, bringing in Lin and Asik accomplishes two important objectives for Brooklyn. It allows them to stay competitive next year, with Lin (and Shaun Livingston) replacing Williams and Asik replacing Garnett, whether Garnett reires or accepts a reserve role. Plus, Asik and Lin both have expiring contracts which gets King out from under this Williams albatross and allows him to be a player in free agency as early as the summer of 2015. It would be a no brainer deal for King as long as he has the support of his owner’s more than ample checkbook.

With all this said, moving Williams is no easy task. The contract is huge, the ankles are bad and the performance and corresponding competitive fire are substandard. Furthermore, if King can’t get a deal for him that allows him to get cap space sooner, he may have no choice to keep him. It’s quite obvious that Williams time in Brooklyn has not been what anyone expected it to be, least of all Deron himself. If King can fuffill his desire to move him, its best for all parties involved. I expect Billy to try like heck

Don't know how much stock I'd put into an article with that many grammatical errors, and missing words. But, I could see why he would start questioning his future. The Nets barely survived against us, and were killed by the Heat, and they're not going to get any better or younger at this point. Though, if he accepted that massive deal it's on him to live up to it rather than trying to find an out. At this point he's beginning to look like worse value than Rudy.

Oh, please. Somebody will absolutely take him. The question is, what crap ass players will they get in return. lol

King doesn't want any crap ass players unless they expire sooner. What team is going to throw expiring contracts at the prospect of of getting a pg that hasn't been anything but a disappointment for years now, with bad ankles, and absolutely no leadership skills? There is hardly anything absolute about it. I mean c'mon. You can make yourself belive it will happen. But don't tell me it is some kind of absolute certainty, because it just isn't.

King doesn't want any crap ass players unless they expire sooner. What team is going to throw expiring contracts at the prospect of of getting a pg that hasn't been anything but a disappointment for years now, with bad ankles, and absolutely no leadership skills? There is hardly anything absolute about it. I mean c'mon. You can make yourself belive it will happen. But don't tell me it is some kind of absolute certainty, because it just isn't.

I don't see any sane team wanting him without getting picks (knicks don't count). He and Brooklyn are made for each other. I don't beleive the rockets offered that this year or last and it stinks like a lie. The line about him "and his wife" want out of Brooklyn makes me laugh. Because Brooklyn is worse than New Jersey. The fact that he burnt his bridges doesn't surprise though. What a bunch of dicks all of them.

Honestly, I can not see 2 of the Texas Triangle Teams helping each other out that much, especially since they're in the same division. Houston gets Dwill and fronts a starting 5 of DW/JH/CP/TJ/DH, they'll clobber Dallas and others in the West for years. Doesn't make a lot of sense.

Honestly, I can not see 2 of the Texas Triangle Teams helping each other out that much, especially since they're in the same division. Houston gets Dwill and fronts a starting 5 of DW/JH/CP/TJ/DH, they'll clobber Dallas and others in the West for years. Doesn't make a lot of sense.

They don't really need Dalas to help them to get DWill, so I think it would make sense for them to grab Asik and worry about their own team.

Why would Houston do this? Dwill is a marginally better defender (which says alot) than Lin and turns it over marginally less all for the low low price of an additional 13 million. Asik has value and can return a good piece even if we don't think Lin could.

Why would Houston do this? Dwill is a marginally better defender (which says alot) than Lin and turns it over marginally less all for the low low price of an additional 13 million. Asik has value and can return a good piece even if we don't think Lin could.

Someone will take a chance on Williams thinking that in their system they can get the D-Will from 3-4yrs ago.